The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-28

Ben eficent Overflow Which Brings Joy to
the Arab Farmers.

A Beneficent Overflow Which Brings Joy TO
the Arab Farmers.
Edward r.. Wilson, in September scribner.
Now the feet of Nile craft decreases, and the
chatting of the boatmen is almost hushed. How
splendid are the scenes on every side! How
they change every mile The palms, the Arab
villages. the mlnarets and domes. of the
MOSQUES. appear in slow succession; again the
pyramids are in view; and ALWAYS is heard the
sound of the busy shadoof and the dreamy
squeak of the sakiyeh. The shores now reveal
how Egypt created, film upon film, layer
upon layer. One marvels not that the people
who live upon them. even now, look upon the
Nile as THE Oliver of all good"
1t moves and on before them as gently as
the rays Of the rising moon. 1t is always kindly.
Il gives water and food-gives life. Once year
it rises and widens, and almost entirely sub
merges the tillable land at its sides. What it
does not so reach. it is made to reach by artif-
cial means The overflow is misfortune 20
those whose homes are upon it's banks. 1t is
their best blessing. For the Nile well repays for
the right of way during the inuudation. by leay-
ing deposit upon the land which IS worth its
weight in gold. It does not change its habits;
1t never brings surprise and destruction. It's
good to the people who trust IN It. The sun al
ways shines for them and when unmolested and
untrammeled their dispositions sunshuy
They are hospitable, generous. willing to serve
the stranger. industrious, religious, misunder
stood, brow beaten, taxed, bastinadoed, aud dis
couraged until their spirit is almost gone And
yet they are good-natured, patient, and seem to
be happy.
When the time approaches for the inundation
the Arab farmer is all expectancy. His canals
are cleared and he protects his home by dikes
and walls of adobe. This done, seated at his
door. he watches with satisfaction and gratitude
the rise and approach OF the water which holds
his little wealth. 1t is several months rising to
it's greatest height. and then as slowly and grad
ually subsidies. Then appears again to his de-
lighted vision the husbandnan's farm. His
palm trees seem to rise to a greater reach, and
their waving fronds add to the sense
of calm and content which pervades all. Already
his we'll filled canals have defined themselves,
and his irrjgating machinery is at once put in
repair. There is no more use for the boats
which have served TO carry him from place to
place during the inundation. They are hidden
among the rushes on the banks of the canal
Every available pressed into
service If the thin deposit of mud left by the
departing river is kept moist. its value remains
at par. If the hot is allowed to play upon
it unopposed, 1t soon becomes baked and curs
up into tiny cylinders: then, breaking
into fragments, it falls dead and worse than
less. Therefore the process of irrigation must
begin at once. The rude sakyeh and the ruder
shadoof are kept going night and day, and give
employment to tens of thousands of the people,
and cattle as we'll with these primitive APP
pliances the water is lifted and emptied into the
channels which have been dug or diked to
ceive it. From these larger receptacles the
water is led to smaller onas. which, OVERLOOKING.
cover the fields.
In little time, then Nile farm becomes a
rare beauty spot, instead of waste of mud; for
now the crops are grown. The lentlls bend with
their heavy load and the fields of grain turn
their well filled heads from side to side that the
ripenne sun may change their green freshness
into gold. What landscape, unadorned by art,
can be more lovely than such farm, narrow
though it's limits may be. with its grove of palms
to fan the breeze and scatter their sweet fruit
age into the lap of the happy fellaheen2 Here no
weeds grow to annoy him. No stone-crops
belched to the surface each year to stop the
plough. And this is good. for the Egyptian
plough has scientifically curved coulter
subsoii attachment. When the crops ripen-
ed the irrigation must rest awhile, for all hands
pressed to help with the ingarhering.